Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease which causes a severe dermatitis characterized by eosinophils and eosinophil major basic protein (MBP). The current proposal will use a murine model for onchocercal dermatitis to test the hypothesis that eosinophils are recruited to the skin b the C-C chemokine, eotaxin. Proposed studies will examine the temporal relationship of eotaxin with recruitment of eosinophils into the skin, and will use eotaxin gene knockout mice to test the prediction that eotaxin is required for development of onchocercal dermatitis. Proposed studies will also identify the cellular source(s) of eotaxin in the skin f mice with onchocercal dermatitis and will focus on the role of keratinocytes. The knowledge obtained from these studies will enhance the understanding of the role of chemokines in recruitment of leucocytes to the skin in this and other forms of dermatitis.